Sobha Sanctuary off Al Ain Road, Dubai

Sobha Sanctuary at a glance

Al Yufrah 1: the district Sobha Sanctuary shares with The Valley and Elwood

Sobha Sanctuary lies off Al Ain Road, beside Sobha Elwood (Gulf News, 26 January 2026). The Dubai Land Department registers all four phases in Al Yufrah 1, the same land district as Emaar's The Valley and Sobha's own Elwood Estates. Sobha gives The Woods access to the Al Ain to Dubai Road and the Jebel Ali to Lehbab Road, with the Dubai Rugby Sevens stadium 5 minutes away, Dubai Outlet Mall 8 minutes, Downtown Dubai and Al Maktoum International Airport 30 minutes each and Dubai International Airport 35 minutes.

Al Yufrah 1 recorded 1,940 registered sales in the 12 months to September 2026, and 55.7% of them were off-plan (Dubai Land Department transactions).

Half the land left open: the Sanctuary master plan

Sobha presented Sanctuary on 26 January 2026, the year the Sobha Group marks its 50th anniversary. Gulf News reported the plan on the same day:

• Half of the land kept for parks, water bodies and community facilities
• A central park with four green corridors, more than 50,000 trees, a 6 km leisure loop and a 9 km wellness loop
• Two international schools, a hospital, a community mall and a wellness centre
• Football grounds, running tracks, padel courts and a skate park

Francis Alfred, managing director of Sobha Realty, said delivery would run over four to eight years and that "each villa community is gated, with its own security and amenities". The four phases registered so far hold 1,995 homes, about one in ten of the 20,000 announced.

The Woods, The Greens, The Brooks and The Grove in the DLD register

None of the phases is being built yet: the first three stood at 0% at their last DLD inspection. Sobha's villas page says 2029 and Gulf News reported first handovers from Q3 2029, while the register holds 31 August 2030 for the villa phases. NAHY plans a purchase around the register date, the one printed on the buyer's Oqood, and treats a completion date declared before construction starts as a target rather than a promise.

Stepped towers or a gated villa: what each Sanctuary phase offers

The Woods is the apartment phase: stepped residential towers around formal garden courts and water features, as Sobha describes it. Its published layouts, balcony included, are a 546 sq ft one bedroom and two bedroom homes of 864 or 965 sq ft. Amenities include a pool deck, a meditation deck and a co-working space. In the 12 months to September 2026 the DLD recorded 166 one bedroom and 58 two bedroom sales there.

The villa collections on Sobha's villas page, read on 8 November 2026:

• The Greens: four bedrooms, 2,459 to 3,430 sq ft
• The Brooks: four and five bedrooms, 3,430 to 4,107 sq ft
• The Grove: four, five and six bedrooms, 4,905 to 7,192 sq ft
• The Willows: four bedrooms, 2,521 to 3,329 sq ft, handover not yet announced

1,349 homes without a registered sale: reading Sobha's stock

By 29 October 2026, 646 of the 1,995 registered units had a sale in the DLD data, leaving 1,349 without one. The Woods recorded 29 sales in July, 113 in August and 82 in September, and about 124 sales across three phases reached the register in October.

That gap is not a stock list: reservations reach the register weeks later, resales count again, and Sobha's villas page only marks each collection "subject to availability". Before you choose, NAHY:

1. Asks Sobha which apartments and villas are open that day.
2. Matches the release to its DLD record. The Willows and The Woods Serenity were not registered under those names on 8 November 2026, so NAHY confirms the project number before any payment goes to the Dubai Islamic Bank escrow.
3. Looks at resale contracts from first buyers, checking Sobha's no objection certificate and the Oqood.

Prices, payment plans and villa layouts for each phase go out on WhatsApp.

Sobha Realty in Al Yufrah: Elwood first, then Sanctuary

Gulf News called Sanctuary Sobha Realty's largest single project to date (26 January 2026). The DLD registers its phases under Sobha L.L.C, developer number 966.

Sobha was already building next door: Sobha Elwood, registered as Elwood Estates in the same district, has 305 units and was 14% complete at its latest DLD inspection. By NAHY's count of the 2026 register, the four Sanctuary phases are four of the five projects Sobha registered between January and October; the fifth is Sobha Central on Sheikh Zayed Road.

Sobha Sanctuary: questions buyers ask

Where is Sobha Sanctuary in Dubai?

Off Al Ain Road, next to Sobha Elwood. The DLD registers its phases in Al Yufrah 1, the district that also holds The Valley by Emaar.

How many homes will Sobha Sanctuary have?

Around 20,000, roughly 18,000 apartments and 2,000 villas (Gulf News, 26 January 2026). The four phases registered with the DLD so far hold 1,995 units.

What is The Woods at Sobha Sanctuary?

The apartment phase: stepped towers with one and two bedroom homes, registered with the DLD on 17 July 2026 with 1,267 units and completion declared for 30 December 2030.

When will Sobha Sanctuary be ready?

Gulf News reported first handovers from Q3 2029, and Sobha's villas page says 2029. The DLD register declares 31 August 2030 for The Greens and The Brooks and 30 December 2030 for The Woods.

Which villas can I buy in Sobha Sanctuary?

Sobha lists The Greens (4 bedrooms), The Brooks (4 and 5), The Grove (4 to 6) and The Willows (4). The Willows had no DLD registration under that name on 8 November 2026.

Are Sobha Sanctuary homes still available?

Sobha publishes no unit count. On 29 October 2026 the DLD showed 1,349 of 1,995 registered units without a registered sale, with about 124 new sales in October. NAHY asks Sobha what it can offer and replies on WhatsApp at +971 55 650 7737.

Is Sobha Sanctuary the same as Sobha Elwood?

No. They are separate Sobha projects side by side off Al Ain Road. Sobha Elwood has its own DLD record, Elwood Estates, with 305 units.

How can I get prices for The Woods and the Sanctuary villas?

Message NAHY Real Estate on WhatsApp at +971 55 650 7737. A broker sends the current prices, payment plan and layouts for the phase you choose.

Sources

• Dubai Land Department project register, entries for The Woods, The Greens At Sobha Sanctuary, The Brooks At Sobha Sanctuary, The Grove At Sobha Sanctuary and Elwood Estates, read 8 November 2026
• Dubai Land Department transactions, data to 29 October 2026
• Sobha Realty, The Woods, The Woods Serenity and Sobha Sanctuary villas pages, read 8 November 2026
• Gulf News, Sobha launches Sobha Sanctuary master development in Dubai, 26 January 2026